The Spruce Eats website has a guide on what to do with witlof (aka Belgian endive) with some really tempting suggestions. They're not giving full recipes, just ideas. So when I saw this suggestion:
"Bake a witlof tarte tatin prepared with date syrup, aceto balsamico (balsamic vinegar), and thyme."
...I had to try and work it out! My recipe is inspired by this other witlof tarte tatin. I think it's a great idea to use date syrup instead of a sugary caramel, though. Plus this version is vegan, so bonus points for that!
Takes 40 minutes, serves 2.
Roll out your dough, or get it out of the freezer, and keep it in the fridge.
Pre-heat the oven to 190 C.
Trim the ends of the witlof and slice them in half lengthways, taking care that the halves stay intact as much as possible. Take a large frying pan and melt the butter with the oil over a medium-high heat, then place the witlof cut-side down in the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes until starting to caramelise, then turn over carefully and cook for another 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the caramel. Put the butter and date syrup together in a little microwaveable cup and microwave for 30 seconds so that they melt and become easy to work with. Stir into this the balsamic vinegar and the thyme.
Now assemble. Take an ovenproof dish, and grease it well with butter or oil (this is important, to be sure the tarte will come out of the dish in the end). Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the dish. Next pour about half of the caramel (or less) over the bottom of the dish, then arrange the witlof pieces nicely in the dish cut-side down. Try to squeeze the witlof in packed well. Now, place the sheet of dough on top and tuck the edges in a little around theother ingredients. Brush the top of the pastry all over with a little more olive oil.
Bake this in the oven for 30 minutes or so, until the pastry is nicely browned and crispy. Then take the pan out of the oven, and leave it for 5 to 10 minutes to cool before turning it out.
While you're waiting, make a salad to go with it. We had a nice kale salad with a mustard vinaigrette, which makes a really nice complement to the sweetness of the tart.
When you're ready to serve, place a plate over the top of the oven dish, and - using oven gloves since the dish is still hot - flip this assemblage upside down so that the tart comes out onto the plate. Divide it carefully, and serve.
(By the way, it's handy to serve this with serrated/steak knives in the cutlery, to cut through the pastry and the witlof neatly.)